German Opposition Leader Calls for Kiev to Issue an Ultimatum to Moscow
The leader of Germany's largest opposition party has specified the requirements for providing long-range missiles to Ukraine. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Friedrich Merz has stated that Berlin should consider sending long-range missiles to Ukraine if Russia does not comply with international demands.
In a recent interview with Stern magazine, the leader of Germany’s largest opposition party, the conservative Christian Democratic Union, indicated that Western nations should permit Kyiv to put pressure on Moscow. He suggested allowing Ukraine to carry out long-range missile strikes deep into Russian territory if the Kremlin fails to adhere to the ultimatum.
Merz is set to be the chancellor candidate for his party in the next parliamentary elections, which may occur as soon as February 23, following the collapse of the three-party government coalition last week. If Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s minority government loses a confidence vote in mid-December, elections would be triggered.
When asked about supplying Ukraine with Taurus missiles in the event he leads Germany’s next government, Merz stated that “Germany must do everything” to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia, stopping short of direct military involvement. He also suggested keeping open the option of sending the missiles and proposed what some German media are calling an “ultimatum” plan. This would give Kyiv the right to say: “if the bombing of civilian population does not stop within 24 hours, the range limitations on the use of … weapons will be lifted jointly” by Ukraine’s Western supporters.
“If that is not enough, Taurus will be delivered a week later,” he added.
Ukraine has long requested Berlin's assistance with long-range Taurus cruise missiles, which have a range of approximately 500 kilometers. Kyiv is also seeking the authority from its Western allies to strike deep into Russian territory using supplied weapons, a request that has not yet been granted.
Russia has consistently warned that increased Western involvement in the conflict could lead to a direct confrontation between Russia and NATO. President Vladimir Putin has previously issued changes to Russia's nuclear doctrine, permitting the deployment of nuclear weapons if Ukraine uses Western-supplied long-range missiles to attack Russian territory.
Chancellor Scholz has hesitated to meet Kyiv’s requests for Taurus missiles, citing concerns over escalation; last month, he remarked that he did not “deem this the right supply.”
When confronted with whether his proposal reflects the “kind of escalation that many Germans fear,” Merz pointed to comments from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who had conveyed that Berlin was “not doing enough now.”
“Next year we will have to ask ourselves: do we really want to give up on Ukraine?” he noted.
Germany is the second-largest military aid donor to Ukraine, having provided over €10 billion from January 2022 to June 2024, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev reacted to Merz’s comments on Tuesday, asserting that the MP was essentially “inviting war to their territory.”
Mark B Thomas contributed to this report for TROIB News
In a recent interview with Stern magazine, the leader of Germany’s largest opposition party, the conservative Christian Democratic Union, indicated that Western nations should permit Kyiv to put pressure on Moscow. He suggested allowing Ukraine to carry out long-range missile strikes deep into Russian territory if the Kremlin fails to adhere to the ultimatum.
Merz is set to be the chancellor candidate for his party in the next parliamentary elections, which may occur as soon as February 23, following the collapse of the three-party government coalition last week. If Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s minority government loses a confidence vote in mid-December, elections would be triggered.
When asked about supplying Ukraine with Taurus missiles in the event he leads Germany’s next government, Merz stated that “Germany must do everything” to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia, stopping short of direct military involvement. He also suggested keeping open the option of sending the missiles and proposed what some German media are calling an “ultimatum” plan. This would give Kyiv the right to say: “if the bombing of civilian population does not stop within 24 hours, the range limitations on the use of … weapons will be lifted jointly” by Ukraine’s Western supporters.
“If that is not enough, Taurus will be delivered a week later,” he added.
Ukraine has long requested Berlin's assistance with long-range Taurus cruise missiles, which have a range of approximately 500 kilometers. Kyiv is also seeking the authority from its Western allies to strike deep into Russian territory using supplied weapons, a request that has not yet been granted.
Russia has consistently warned that increased Western involvement in the conflict could lead to a direct confrontation between Russia and NATO. President Vladimir Putin has previously issued changes to Russia's nuclear doctrine, permitting the deployment of nuclear weapons if Ukraine uses Western-supplied long-range missiles to attack Russian territory.
Chancellor Scholz has hesitated to meet Kyiv’s requests for Taurus missiles, citing concerns over escalation; last month, he remarked that he did not “deem this the right supply.”
When confronted with whether his proposal reflects the “kind of escalation that many Germans fear,” Merz pointed to comments from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who had conveyed that Berlin was “not doing enough now.”
“Next year we will have to ask ourselves: do we really want to give up on Ukraine?” he noted.
Germany is the second-largest military aid donor to Ukraine, having provided over €10 billion from January 2022 to June 2024, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev reacted to Merz’s comments on Tuesday, asserting that the MP was essentially “inviting war to their territory.”
Mark B Thomas contributed to this report for TROIB News
